Recording TV

Hey, I'm going to be appearing on a Japanese TV show called ZOOM IN SATURDAY on April 5th, and I want to record it so I can show my family. My host family in Aichi at the moment haven't got a VCR, because apparently VCR's haven't exsisted for about 5 years. What they have is an DVD recorder- they can record tv shows onto DVD!!
They said if I can figure out how to do it, I can record my show. Problem is, in Australia I've never even heard of a DVD recorder! Can anyone tell me how to do it??
Cheers!

DVD Recorders exist in Australia. It pretty much exists in many countries. Though they tend to be a bit expensive depending on the model you buy.

They work like the old vcr recorder, put in a blank DVD-R and press record.

Thanks, but um... which button is record? o.O

Emily,

It is probably more likely that what they have is a hard disk recorder. Programmes are recorded onto the hard disk, and can then be edited or copied onto a blank DVD-R for viewing on a DVD player or PC. There's more to recording a TV programme than just knowing where the record button is, so you will need to ask your host family to help you. Presumably they do actually use it themselves to record programmes?
Failing that, tell us what the make and model of the recorder is, and some kind soul here might be able to look up the user manual online and guide you through the basic procedure.

The reason why my host family don't know how to use it is because they just moved house last week, so everything is pretty much brand new. I guess what would realy help me right about now is what kind of DVD do I need to buy? Can I just get one from the local supermarket or do I need to visit an electricl shop? Any comments will help!

Emily,

Any DVD-R should be OK, but without knowing the make or model of the machine, it is impossible to say for certain. For all we know, they might have some fancy high-definition or blu-ray deck.
But assuming you just need a regular DVD-R, you can buy them at convenience stores and 100 yen stores.